Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) and He Guoqiang, a senior leader of the Communist Party of China, meet during the annual Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, on June 21. (Alexei Nikolsky/AFP/Getty Images)

A high-level Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official has said the Party is in jeopardy because of widespread corruption, in a series of internal briefings given to high-level cadres in three provinces in China, according to a Hong Kong magazine.

He Guoqiang, the secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and a member of the nine-member Politburo Standing Committee, which rules China, has repeatedly made comments about the “three big losses of control” and talked about the “paralysis theory” of the Disciplinary Committee during conferences by the CCDI and by the directors of National Provincial Supervision departments.

The three big losses of control refers to the central regime losing control over local authorities, over the guidance of grass-roots Party organization, and over the implementation of rural policies, Hong Kong’s Trend magazine’s June issue quoted He Guoqiang as saying.

The three big losses of control are the result of a long-standing breakdown in relations between central and provincial Party committees and governments, culminating in a crisis that could comprehensively affect the implementation of policies in political, organizational, and ideological areas, the article said, paraphrasing He.

The magazine did not say specifically where and when He Guoqiang was supposed to have made the remarks, but it referred to a series of recent internal briefings, with the implication that the briefings were the source.

Corruption and Depravity

At an internal forum in Beijing earlier this month, He Guoqiang met with the secretaries and deputy secretaries of the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commissions from Hebei, Henan, and Shandong provinces, and two cities (Beijing and Tianjin). According to the Trend magazine article, He said, “There is a widespread trend of local authorities using ‘special situations’ as excuses to arbitrarily grab power, abuse power, and demand more power.”

He said that provincial officials losing control locally are creating problems for the central regime. Public discontent, economic problems, and contradictions are kept simmering and are being aggravated, he said, and this results in standoffs between local Party officials and citizens, which ends up alienating local people from the central regime and creates more pressure for the center.

“Corrupt and depraved” conduct permeates local party levels, according to the Trend article. Officials’ collusion with business and organized crime has made people furious.

There is a complete loss of control in the area of rural policy and rural administration, with normal operation of party organizations and administrative structures at a standstill, the article said, paraphrasing He.

Some party administrative structures are manipulated by organized crime, working hand in glove with local authorities to manipulate and hoard agricultural products to create supply and demand imbalances, according to the article.

He Guoqiang told provincial discipline committee secretaries that he doesn’t know how to break through, solve, or diminish these problems.

He Guoqiang told provincial discipline committee secretaries that he doesn’t know how to break through, solve, or diminish these problems, saying: “I could not give a correct and effective answer. … There is definitely no specific [solution] at this time.”

Critical Juncture

This is not the first time top CCP leaders have recently acknowledged that the Party has big problems.

According to an article in Trend magazine’s May issue, Xi Jinping, China’s presumed next leader, warned at a political seminar for State Council and ministerial-level officials that corruption is endangering the Party.

Xi specifically mentioned the phenomenon of “naked” officials, which refers to party officials who have sent their family members and assets overseas. These cadres, with dual citizenship, are increasingly common.

Other cadres may organize for their spouses or other relatives to get comfortable jobs at state-owned enterprises, with a variety of privileges.

There is also the phenomenon of the “three public expenditures,” referring to lavish state perks, which have led to public anger with the Party.

“Society has deemed that these … maladies will cause the demise of the Party and the nation,” Xi said.

In an official speech published on April 14, Chinese leader Hu Jintao said, “The Party is at a critical juncture.”